CHESTERFIELD, Mo., Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA®) announced the dates and locations for two events in the continuation of its high-profile discussions, The Food Dialogues^SM, designed to answer Americans' questions on some of today's most provocative issues surrounding food.  The two-part series will take place in Chicago, with the first panel discussion taking place on Monday, April 22, at the BIO International Convention, and the second taking place Wednesday, June 19, at Kendall College.

"USFRA is excited to host The Food Dialogues: Chicago and continue the important conversation about how food is grown and raised," said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "To date, USFRA has hosted The Food Dialogues in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world and New York, our nation's media epicenter. We're now taking the conversation to the hub of where many food decisions are being made. With so many food and agricultural companies based in the Midwest, we knew the time was right to bring The Food Dialogues to Chicagoland." 

USFRA was created to lead the dialogue and answer consumers' questions about food production through events, social media, access to farmers and ranchers, and content on its website, www.fooddialogues.com. USFRA most recently held The Food Dialogues: New York on November 15, 2012, with the event focusing on three of today's key food issues: Media, Marketing and Healthy Choices, Antibiotics and Biotechnology (GMOs) and Your Food.

The Food Dialogues: Chicago at the BIO International Convention on April 22 will focus on the impact media have on consumers' knowledge of biotechnology (GMOs). Access will be available to non-convention attendees, so long as they are pre-registered at www.fooddialogues.com/chicago-food-dialogues for this panel event. The Food Dialogues: Chicago at Kendall College on June 19 will focus on transparency, specifically the type of information consumers are looking for when making food purchasing decisions. Additional details, including event moderators and panelists will be announced in the coming weeks. In the interim, USFRA has created a section of its website where individuals can register and sign up to receive updates as they become available.

For more information about USFRA or its signature event series, The Food Dialogues, visit www.fooddialogues.com. Follow USFRA on Twitter @USFRA using #FoodD.

About The Food Dialogues
The Food Dialogues signature events are designed to bring together farmers, ranchers, industry experts, pundits, media and consumers together for dynamic panel discussions on some of today's most pressing topics related to food and food production. Since its launch in 2011, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance has hosted five major events, including 13 panels across the country that streamed live online. To watch content from past events, visit www.fooddialogues.com and follow USFRA on Twitter @USFRA using #FoodD. 

About U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA)
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) consists of nearly 80 farmer- and rancher-led organizations and agricultural partners representing virtually all aspects of agriculture working to engage in dialogues with consumers who have questions about how today's food is grown and raised. USFRA is committed to continuous improvement and supporting U.S. farmers and ranchers efforts to increase confidence and trust in today's agriculture.

This press release was wholly or partially funded by one or more Checkoff programs.

SOURCE U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA)